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The Creation of Sundance
This section is about the history behind the creation of the Sundance Film Festival. The Hollywood Dilemma By the late 1930s, the film industry was plagued by a practice called block-booking, in which theaters could only buy films from major studios for long periods of time. This was done in order to confirm that a film would still be run even if it wasn't good. On top of this, the major film studios participating in this practice owned all the theaters. When the independently produced Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became extremely successful, the practice of block-booking was investigated and eventually removed from the major studios' repertoire of business practices. This led to the eventual downfall of the studio system that had been so successful up until then.Aberdeen, J.A. (n.d.). “The Independent Producers and the Paramount Case, 1938-1949.”Hollywood Renegades Archive, 1 Jan. Retrieved April 16, 2018, By the end of the 1940s, block-booking would be completely eradicated and theaters would be free from studio ownership.Aberdeen, J.A.(n.d.). “The Independent Producers and the Paramount Case, 1938-1949.”Hollywood Renegades Archive, 1 Jan. Retrieved April 16, 2018 At the same time, the television, while not a new invention in the late 1940s, had seen a meteoric rise after the end of the war. Studios started taking drastic measures in order to compete with this expanding medium, selling their libraries to be distributed over television. This, on top of the collapse of the studio system, caused major problems for film and its mainstream popularity. In the 1950s, the studios did everything they could to regain their audience, focusing on large-scale films that couldn't be seen on television. Such attempts were the introduction of CinemaScope widescreen filming, and 3-D film Hodgins, E. (n.d.). “Amid Ruins of an Empire.” LIFE, 10 June 1957, pp. 146–166. Google Books.. However, nothing helped and the studios became desperate. The studios decided that what they were doing wasn't working. They needed some new, fresh ideas from new, fresh filmmakers in order to keep the industry afloat. The Rise and Fall of New Hollywood By the mid 1960s, film studios were desperately trying to shake up the film industry. This new shake-up involved a flood of younger directors who were classically trained in the art in film. The idea was that these younger directors were experienced in working with small budgets, providing easy profits for film studios.(Biskin, 2007, pp.19 - 24) Biskin, P. (n.d.). Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film. pp. 19-24 On top of this, they hoped these young directors would attract a younger audience. These young filmmakers did indeed shake up the industry, with new types of films that changed the very notion of what film should be. Most films of the 1950s and early 60s tried to attract audiences with their large sounds, epic spectacle, and censorship. Films of the New Hollywood did the opposite; they favored introspection and deep focus on characters rather than an epic plot. They dared not censor any aspect of their film that was necessary for the final product. There were many notable films of New Hollywood: Easy Rider by Dennis Hopper, Bonnie and Clyde by Arthur Penn, and The Graduate by Mike Nichols. Tilles, B. (n.d.). “12 Greatest Films of the New Hollywood Era.” Reel Rundown, 20 Dec. Retrieved April 16, 2018 All in all, this era proved to be very successful and introduced a whole new type of film. However, this was not to last for very long. In 1975, a film named Jaws was released. Directed by then-rising director Steven Spielberg, Jaws was a massive success and made an enormous amount of money. The term "blockbuster film", while used in film before then, was defined culturally around the success of Jaws. That, combined with the release of Star Wars a few years later, marked the end for New Hollywood and its magnificent period of groundbreaking film. The world of cinema had returned to its epic event films and the need to produce massive features. Blockbuster films absolutely took over the industry. Close Encounters of the Third Kind Steven Spielberg, ''Superman ''by Richard Donner, and ''Alien ''by Ridley Scott are all examples of blockbuster films that followed. The time of the indie in mainstream Hollywood had ended. However, there was no need to worry, as it quickly found another home. The Utah Film Festival and The Sundance Institute Many attribute the creation of the Sundance Film Festival to Robert Redford, however that is not the whole story. In 1978, Sterling Van Wagenen founded the Utah/US Film Festival. This festival was created for the purpose of celebrating American film, bringing attention to independent film, and increasing the overall tourist flow in Utah.Papamichael, S. (n.d.). “A Brief History of Sundance.” BBC, BBC, 24 Sept. Retrieved April 16, 2018 This is where Robert Redford becomes relevant. Having been a major participant in the age of New Hollywood, Robert Redford was disappointed to see the return of the large-scale film. He wanted to make sure there was a place where low-budget, self-produced films could have an audience. He heard that his cousin-in-law Sterling Van Wagenen was trying to form a film festival that supported and showcased independent filmmakers. Benson, L. (n.d.). “About Utah: Utah Valley Resident Sterling Van Wagenen Was There before Redford.” Deseret News, 21 Jan. Retrieved April 16, 2018, Redford agreed to be on the board of the Utah/US Film Festival. The first year was moderately successful in terms of attendance. Financially, however, the festival went $20,000 over budget. The festival would go on to struggle financially for the next couple of years. At the same time, after the first festival, Redford decided to use his resources to help out the independent community even more. He turned his ski-resort land he had into a haven for aspiring filmmakers. In 1979, he invited filmmakers and artists to a conference at his resort. This meeting laid the foundation for the Sundance Institute, Redford's organization dedicated to indie filmmaking. He invited Wagenen to join the venture, a critical part of the organization's future success. The Utah Film Festival, while still successful, continually struggled financially. In 1985, the Sundance Institute took over management of the Utah/US Film Festival and began implementing big changes. ----------